Two of the Partnership's priority bills will be heard in committee soon, and to demonstrate the domestic violence community's support, we need you to take a moment and submit support letters. Please take a moment to complete the letters and fax them to the Partnership at (916) 444-7165 by Wednesday, April 1st at 5 p.m.

The two bills coming up for hearing are:

SB 400 (Jackson) - This bill will protect survivors from termination or discrimination in the workplace because of their known status as survivors, and to ensure that employers provide survivors with reasonable safety accommodations. The Partnership is co-sponsoring SB 400, along with the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA). Support Letter.

SB 612 (Leno) - The Partnership is co-sponsoring SB 612, with the National Housing Law Project, to expand the list of permitted documentation for survivors' seeking to terminate their leases to relocate for their safety. Current law only allows a survivor to submit a court order or law enforcement report, and the bill will allow survivors to submit documentation from a medical professional, health care provider, domestic violence or sexual assault counselor, or human trafficking case worker. SB 612 also adds human trafficking survivors to those included under this provision. This expansion will ensure that more survivors have access to this safety measure. Support Letter.

Update on Recent Hearings

Last week, two of the Partnership's priority bills were heard by the Assembly Public Safety Committee. Both AB 16 (Perez) and AB 139 (Holden) were passed by the committee without opposition! You can find more information about these bills, and all of the bills the Partnership is tracking, on our website.

Federal Update

Latest News on Federal Budget and Sequestration

As you know, the automatic trigger cuts known as sequestration officially went into effect on March 1st. To the extent that any VAWA-grantees are impacted, you will be contacted directly by OVW. The Partnership continues to work with our state and national partners about what this may mean for the remaining FY '13 funding, and will continue to provide details as they become available.

Additionally, the current federal funding bill expires on March 27th and both the House and Senate are expected to take up new funding bills this week. The good news is that even in this reality of shrinking federal budgets, the domestic violence and sexual assault funding has not been targeted for cuts. We are working with NNEDV and its national partners to advocate for this funding to be sustained at current levels in the final bill. We will share the relevant funding amounts once Congress agrees to a final bill.

Partnership News

Information on Nonprofits Engaging in Lobbying Activities

We recognize that many members often have questions about the rules for non-profits engaging in lobbying activities, particularly at this time of year when we ask you to submit support letters and participate in the Statewide Week of Advocacy. Lobbying is not only legal for non-profits, but it is one of the most effective ways for us to make our voices heard! Our strength comes from the broad-based support of local programs, and that strength is clearly demonstrated through your participation in our lobbying efforts. Information about the rules you need to follow is available through the Alliance for Justice's Bolder Advocacy website here.

Get Involved in the Partnership's Policy Work

If you are interested in getting involved with the Partnership's policy work, please consider joining our Public Policy and Research Committees (PPRCs). Our regional PPRCs help ensure that our public policy work meets the needs of survivors and programs across California and our subcommittees focus on specific policy issues. Find out more here.